Frame for sides of car trucks



Nov. 25, 1924. 11,516,928

C. 5. PROUDFOOT ET AL FRAME FOR SIDES OF CAR TRUCKS Filed Feb; 24 1923 lnvezllors dkarlas S 1310 uq o 05.

fzzzarzmy Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED" sur s PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S.

rn onnroo'r, or wEs'riirtoNT, ANn nlx'vrn 1:. EYNON, or BETHLEHEM.

PENNSYLVANIA.

FRAME roa' *srnns 01 GAR TRUCKS.

Application filed February 24, 1923. Serial No. 620,894.

To all whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that we,

CHARLES S. PRoUn roor, a resident of the borough of \Vest- Pennsylvania, dent of Bethlehem,

and State of Pennsylvania, both and State of citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Frames for Sides of Car Trucks; and clare the following to be a full, clear,

of the invention, such as exact description we do hereby dc and will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates for the side of a car t used with any kind of cars,

especially adapted for cars of large capacity.

generally to aframe ruck, which may be but which is use under freight Our frame has all of its principal members formed of one plate of metal, preferably of steel, which is punched to the outlines are then formed any manner, but prefe press with suitable fianging shall be dies, the plate may be cold,

donewhen the plate is hot.

first cut, sheared or ClGSllGCl, and flanges on its various edges in rably bya flanging and in doing this but we prefer'the The plate is cut in such a way as to ultimately form'the principal members of what is known as an integral arch truck side frame, compr slng bar type of the toparch bar, with deeper end extensions, into which are merged the end portlons of the diagonal tension members; uprig bounding the bolster bar; inclined tension the bottom' arch bar the column guides and opening, abottom arch members connecting with the end extensions ht portions forming of the top arch bar,

and we also prefer to form thepedestal tie bars integral with the other members.

Certain of the Hang es project inwardly and in some cases have marginal flanges which project outwardly therefrom, and

" when Y the parts are in their finally formed position the outstanding flanges are preferably secured together by spot welding;-

The plate after beingcut to shape and flanged is bent about i ts median line'w'ith certain of the inturned flanges opposite each other, whilethe-outstanding flanges which are provided on some portions are parallel to eachother and are adapted to havethei'r sides in close contact in may be readily graspe such a way that they (1 betweentlie" jaws or electrodes of a spot welding apparatus and be secured by welding together at in-' tervals thereby. Separate plates or pads may be welded to the upper boundaries of the bolster. opening to serve as column guides, and the usual journal box bolt holes are also provided in the ends of the top arch bar and in the pedestal tie bars, and we may also add a bent reinforcing plate within each extension end of the top arch bar to reinforce it and serve as nut locks for the column bolts.

The structure when completed has its principal members of hollow box.v form, which may be entirely closed or with spaces between certain of the flanges, and the side portions are spaced apart a predetermined distance so that the entire structure is stiff and strong and the material arranged therein to good advantage to withstand the stresses of use.

In order to lighten the weight of the frame and to permit access to the truck brake shoes, etc, we provide openings between the bolster opening and the ends of the frame, which in this case are shown as circular, but they maybe of any other shape desired, and are provided with inturned flanges which are opposite each other in order to strengthen the structure and provide a neat finish therefor.

Having thus given a general description of our invention, we will now, in order to make the matter more clear, refer to'the anneXed sheet of drawings, which forms part of this specification, and in which like characters refer to like parts Figure 1 is a side elevation of our frame for the side of a car truck, showing the wheels journals, journal boX bolts and end reinforcing plates in dotted lines; Figure2 is a bottom plan View of our frame looking upwardly; Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional elevation taken on the line II IIII of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an end elevation of the frame; Figure 5 is a vertical cross section through the-end portion'of the frame on the'line VV of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a cross section of the intermediate porti'on'of the'pedestal tie bar taken on the line VLF-Vlof 'Figure'lf Figure 7 is'a cross section'of the inclined tension member taken on the iimVfi-VII of Figure 1; Figure 8 is across section taken atthe' cenbar between the journalbox bolts on the line VIIIVIII of Figure'l; Figure 9 is a cross section near the end of the pedestal tie bar on the center line of the outer journal box bolt hole taken on the'line IXIX of Figure 1, and Figure 10 is a cross section through the lower portion of the column guides taken on the line X-X of Figure 1.

Referring now to the characters of refer ence on the drawings :1 is the top flange or that portion of the top arch bar which is formed from the central portion of the plate and is of substantial width as shown, corresponding to the general width of the frame; 2 are the side portions formed integral therewith and extending downwardly there-from in substantial parallelism; 3 are the openings between the column guides and the ends of the frame, which are shown as circular and are bounded by the inturned flanges 4;, which are opposite and spaced apart; 5 are the inturned flanges of the central portion of the top arch bar, which are opposite each other and spaced apart; 6 is the bolster opening, which is wider at the bottom than at the top in order to receive the springs and allow the bolster tobe placed and replaced as necessar 7 are the inturned flanges at the lower parts of the side of the bolster opening, which as shown, are opposite and slightly spaced apart; 8 are plates, originally separate, which are integrally secured to the upper portions of the column guides by welding or otherwise, and which serve as guides for the movement of the bolster; 9 are theinturned upper flanges of the central portion of the lower arch bar, the edges of which are spaced apart as illustrated; 10 are the lower flanges of the end extensions which are adapted to rest upon the journal boxes and .preferably abut each other to make close contact, and if desired may be welded together, and have journal box bolt holes therein; 11 are the out-turned flanges of the inclined tension member, the sides ofwhich are contiguous and are secured together by the spot welds 12, as illustrated; 13 are similarly out-turned flanges of the botton'i'arch bar member, which when the parts are assembled project clownwardly in substantial parallelism in close contact and are secured together by means of the spot welds 14, as illustrated; 15 are the upper end portions of the pedestal tie bars w llCh form integral extensions of the inner and flanged portions thereof and overlie and are in close contact with the lower end portions 16 of the pedestal tie bars. The intermediate portions of each of these extensions is flanged at substantially right angles with the other portion, and these flanges 17 extend downwardly, are contiguous and secured together by spot welds 18. These pedestal tie bar extension portions are provided with holes 19 to receive the ends of the journal box bolts. 20 are channel'shaped reinforcing plates with the webs thereof cut to trapezoidal form and with upturned end portions to serve as nut locks for the journal box bolts, and these reinforcing plates are inserted within the ends of the upper portion of the frame and secured thereto by welds 21, which may be edge welds formed by depositing similar fused material against portions of their edges and also fused to the adjacent edges of the plates of the frame. Some of the welds are shown as circular, and these are formed by providing holes in the sides of the end portions of the frame, which are then filled with material which is fused therein and welded to the reinforcing plate 20 and also to the plate forming the boundary of the hole, thus somewhat resembling the shank of a rivet, but fused to both portions to-hold the reinforcing plates very firmly in position. Journal. box bolt holes 22 are provided in the lower flanges 10 of the end extensions of the frame, and 23 is the spring plank shown in dotted lines in Figure 10, which may be secured to the frame in any manner desired, and which extends from one side of the truck to the other to hold the two frames together in alignment and also supports the; springs.

Our frame is preferably made in the following manner :A plate of metal, preferably of steel, about one-half inch or thereabouts in thickness and substantially rectan gular, is placed on a powerful shearing press and cut to shape thereon in one or two operations as desired. After this is done the plate is preferably heated and placed in a powerful flanging press and the various flanges are pressed integrally therefrom and some of them extend substantially at right angles to the body of the plate and are joined thereto by rounded corners with substantial radii, while the flanges which proj ect dOWnWaIdly in the finished frame, such as 11, 13 and 17, are formed substantially parallel to the side portions of the body of the frame. The plate is then placed in another press and bent about its median line and the two sides bent toward each other so that the like parts are substantially opposite each other, and the side portions are then closed together. The frame is then firmly clamped to hold the flanges 11, 13 and 17 in close contact and the spot welds 12, 14 and 18 are made, together."

The'reinforcing plates 20 are then. inserted and welded in place. The journal box bolt holes may be previously formed or made after the frame is shaped. The Icolunm guide plates 8 are'also placed in position and welded or secured to the upper portions of the column guides as illustrated.

It will thus be seen that by means of our construction we provide a very simple and which secure the different parts effective way for securing the diflerent parts together by their outwardly extending flanges and the spot welding of the same, these flanges being readily accessible for this purpose, and the structure when complete forms a very substantial frame, which is easily made, and the different portions of which are secured together firmly and in a simple and effective manner.

Although we have shown and described our invention in considerable detail, we do not wish to be limited to the exact and specific details thereof as shown and described, but may use such modifications in, substitutions for, or equivalents thereof as are embraced within the scope of our invention, or as pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A truck frame composed of one metal plate, having a top portion, two side portions extending therefrom and spaced apart, some parts of said side portions having inwardly extending flanges and other outwardly extending flanges integral therewith, secured together by welding.

2. A truck frame composed of one metal plate, having a top portion, side portions extending therefrom and spaced apart, some parts of said side portions having inwardly extending flanges and other outwardly extending flanges integral therewith, secured together by spot welding their contiguous surfaces.

3. A truck frame composed of one metal plate, including a top portion, a bottom portion, and side portions composed of members connecting the same, said side portions being spaced apart and provided with inturned flanges substantially opposite each other, other flanges formed integral with some of the inturned flanges, projecting outwardly therefrom, in contact, and secured together by welding.

4. An integral frame for car trucks, composed of a single plate of metal forming the various members thereof, having side portions extending from the upper portion in substantial arallelism and spaced apart, integral inwarc ly extending flanges and outwardly extending flanges projecting therefrom with their sides in contact, and secured together by spot welding.

5. A frame for car trucks of the integral arch bar type, comprising a single plate of metal bent about its intermediate portion, forming two sides spaced apart and opposite each other, openings formed therein, integral inturned flanges on said sides, certain of the portions of which are provided with outwardly extending flanges formed integral with said inturned flanges, in contact with each other and secured together by spot welding.

(3. A frame for a car truck, composed of a single plate of metal bent about its intermediate portion, forming side portions extending from the top portion, spaced apart and provided with integral inturned flanges, pedestal tie bars formed integral therewith, the ends of which are overlapping and provided with centrally arranged integral flanges extending therefrom, and secured together by spot welding.

7. A frame for the side of a car truck, composed of a single plate, cut in the shape desired to form the various members, including the top arch bar member, the bottom arch bar member, inclined tension members, column guides, and pedestal tie bars, the side portions of which extend from the upper portion, are spaced apart and provided with inturned flanges, some of which are abutting and secured together, others being opposite and spaced apart, and others provided with outwardly extending flanges, the sides of which are contiguous and secured together by spot welding.

S. A frame for the side of a car truck, composed of various members, portions of some of which are provided with outstanding contiguous flanges, secured together by spot welding.

In witness whereof we hereunto tlfilX our signatures.

CHARLES S. PROUDFOOT. DAVID L. EYNON. 

